Fish, especially fatty fish such as mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are the main and predominant source of omega-3 oils. Research has established that the most beneficial and active of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are:
EPA – short for eicosapentaenoic (EE-coe-suh-pent-uhnoyick) acid, or 20:5w3, and
DHA – short for docosahexaenoic (DOE-coe-suh-hexuhnoy-ick) acid, or 22:6w3.
EPA is known to be involved in many processes linked directly to the risks of a heart attack, from regulating the rhythm of the heart to controlling inflammation and blood clot formation. DHA is a major component of the brain, making up about a quarter of the fatty acids in gray matter, and is essential to the development of the brain in the womb and in the early stages of life.
With the significance that omega-3 fatty acids – some of the most researched nutrients – play in our health, both cardiovascular and neuronal, the necessity of their adequate intake is clear. Ideally, that would include numerous servings of omega-3 fatty acid rich fish.
Unfortunately, it is estimated that over 85 percent of people in the Western world are deficient in the beneficial essential fatty acids, so named because without them we die
